Following on from his bestselling The Complete Day Skipper and The Complete Yachtmaster, yachting legend Tom Cunliffe turns his attentions to the third strand of the RYA syllabus. With the same hugely popular, highly practical approach, The Complete Ocean Skipper covers everything a yachtsman needs to know when planning an offshore cruise or ocean passage. All aspects of planning and preparing for – as well as setting out on – a long-distance cruise are featured: - Preparation: types of suitable boat, choice of rig, engine power, safety equipment, communication systems, crew preparation - On passage: ocean weather systems, forecasting, deck routines, watchkeeping, self-steering, emergencies, heavy weather techniques - Ocean navigation: electronic as well as celestial A unique and definitive handbook, The Complete Ocean Skipper goes beyond the theory of the RYA syllabus to ensure that readers are equipped with the knowledge of both what to do and how to go about it, in whatever circumstances. A veteran offshore yachtsman as well as an RYA examiner, Tom Cunliffe brings his experience to bear and packs this must-have guide with invaluable hands-on advice for offshore and coastal sailors alike. With clear, helpful colour photographs and diagrams throughout, this is the essential book for anyone planning for or dreaming about sailing further afield.

The essential reference for anyone interested in offshore sailing and ocean passages. Following on from his bestselling The Complete Day Skipper and The Complete Yachtmaster, yachting legend Tom Cunliffe turns his attentions to the third strand of the RYA syllabus. With the same hugely popular, highly practical approach, The Complete Ocean Skipper covers everything a sailor needs to know when planning and preparing for an offshore cruise or ocean passage: - Preparation: types of suitable boat, choice of rig, engine power, safety equipment, communication systems, crew preparation - On passage: ocean weather systems, forecasting, deck routines, watchkeeping, self-steering, emergencies, heavy weather techniques - Ocean navigation: electronic as well as celestial The second edition of this definitive handbook is fully updated, with new and revised content on multihulls, autopilots, radar, anchoring and software. The Complete Ocean Skipper goes beyond the theory of the RYA syllabus to ensure that readers are equipped with the knowledge of both what to do and how to go about it, in whatever circumstances. A veteran offshore yachtsman as well as an RYA examiner, Tom Cunliffe brings his experience to bear and packs this must-have guide with invaluable hands-on advice for offshore and coastal sailors alike. With clear, helpful colour photographs and diagrams throughout, this is the essential book for anyone planning for or dreaming about sailing further afield.

A practical hands-on manual for skippers at the outset of their careers from Tom Cunliffe, one of Britain's best known instructors and most successful writers on seamanship. It covers the entire RYA Day Skipper syllabus both shore based and practical.

Tom Cunliffe has crossed many oceans. If blue water cruising is your game, this is the book for you. Part 1 covers celestial navigation - fixing your position by sextant. This is an interesting and elegant method of knowing where you are - and may save your life some day. Even in this electronic age, it is a skill every skipper should possess. Part 2 looks at the world's weather systems and how to use them to your advantage. Hurricanes and typhoons are analysed - with the emphasis on avoiding them! But if a trade wind squall strikes or an approaching hurricane looks like slipping by your strategic defences, Cunliffe is on hand with remedial advice. Part 3 explains what you actually do out at sea. It covers gathering information, making plans, what to take, how to run watch systems, and the delight of making long passages.

Yachtmaster for Sail and Power is a major reference book that has proved invaluable for the many sailors following the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore course. This highly respected and refreshingly practical study guide covers the whole syllabus in detail, all illustrated with colour photographs, charts and worked examples throughout. It covers: · Chartwork - with useful worked examples · Electronic navigation - how to use the latest technology for safe navigation: radar, electronic chart plotting and GPS · Pilotage - buoyage fully explained and illustrated · Communications - information on current maritime communications including GMDSS · Weather - the elements of meteorology, weather sources and forecasts · Safety and survival - all the new SOLAS regulations detailed · Stability and buoyancy - the principles simply explained. Including the latest updates, new artwork and a modern design, this fourth edition compliments the syllabus and assists with exam preparation - an essential companion for anyone enrolling on the RYA Yachtmaster course, whether for sail or power.

A handbook on sailing classic boats by the 'guru of gaff-rig sailors', replete with illustrations and clear descriptions of techniques that are unique to the classic boat world.

"I know you'll want to read more after you finish Sailing a Serious Ocean. And be warned, you'll very likely want to sail with John, perhaps across an ocean." -- DALLAS MURPHY, AUTHOR OF ROUNDING THE HORN After sailing 300,000 miles and weathering dozens of storms in all the world's oceans, John Kretschmer has plenty of stories and advice to share. John's offshore training passages sell out a year in advance and his entertaining presentations are popular at boat shows and yacht clubs all over the English speaking world. John's talent for storytelling enchants his audience as it soaks up the lessons he learned during his oftenchallengingvoyages. Now you can take a seat next to John--at a lesser cost--and get the knowledge you need to fulfill your own dream of blue-water adventure. In Sailing a Serious Ocean, John tells you what to expect when sailing the oceans and shows how to sail safely across them. His tales of storm encounters and other examples of extreme seamanship will help you prepare for your journey and give you confidence to handle any situation—even heavy weather. Through his personal stories, John will guide you through the whole process of choosing the right boat, outfitting with the right gear,planning your route, navigating the ocean, and understanding the nuances of life at sea. Our oceans are beautiful yet unpredictable—water that is at one moment a natural mirror for the glowing sun can turn into a foamy, raging wall of fury. John knows our oceans, and he is one of the best teachers of taming and enjoying them. Before you set off across the big blue, turn to John for his inspirational stories and hard-learned advice and discover the serious sailor in you.